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Help identifying a thrush product (or suggestions on what to use for thrush)

3K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  its lbs not miles 
#1 ·
My horse has some thrush in her hooves and I was told by mentor/friend that I could get a solution from a farm or ranch supply store. She couldnt remember the name but it is in a clear bottle, shaped like a catchup bottle, with a blue label and contains iodine. I have tried two different stores and have not found this product. Anyone know this product or the name of it?


She did say there could be a possibility that the store is out of it because a lot of people are having issues with thrush right now I guess. She also said I could mix water with iodine that I can get from orchlens.

I have found a product by Absorbine called Hooflex Thrush Remedy bactericidal + fungicidal


Thanks for the help in advance and sorry for grammar mistakes. I did try to proof read it but i am on my phone and may not have caught them.
 
#3 ·
Sorry you're going through this. If you search this forum, you'll see a lot of threads on thrush, and there tend to be a few common schools of thought:
1. A bleach solution approach- many swear by it, some fear it will cause damage to healthy tissue.
2. Natural products like apple cider vinegar (ACV) or raw honey- rinsing with diluted ACV, and then smearing on honey (or packing hoofs with honey-soaked cotton). They don't need to be used together, some use one vs. the other, some use both.
3. "Over the counter" products like Thrush Buster or other liquids like what you're describing above (though sorry, I don't know the name of the product you're describing).
4. Dry Thrush products, like "No Thrush"-this is a dry, powdered product in a bottle that squirts into cracks and crevices. The reasoning is that if thrush is made worse by damp, moist conditions, why would you want to add more moisture.
5. "Pete's Goo"- a mixture of human athlete's foot cream (you need the "Lotrimin" type or generic) and antibiotic ointment (in a 1:1 ratio) that you mix up yourself, stuff into an empty syringe, and then load into cracks.

Personally, I've had thrush problems on and off for months with my mare. I tried the ACV, honey, and liquid over the counter treatments like Thrush Buster and saw no real improvement. I had periods when the No Thrush did seem to help, and I find that useful for preventative maintenance, but it's not universal. I have been using the Pete's Goo in the past two weeks and am actually seeing good results. I have personally avoided bleach-based solutions as I'm leery of hurting healthy tissue, though again, many here swear by it.

Underlying all of this is your horse's nutrition and diet. I am not an expert in that, so will not comment, except to say there really is a connection and you need to be sure diet is in order to support healthy feet.

I am neither a vet nor a farrier, so if you have a severe case, I would definitely urge you to talk with either of them so they can advise you on your horse. Good luck researching your options and helping your horse!
 
#6 ·
Sorry you're going through this. If you search this forum, you'll see a lot of threads on thrush, and there tend to be a few common schools of thought:
1. A bleach solution approach- many swear by it, some fear it will cause damage to healthy tissue.
2. Natural products like apple cider vinegar (ACV) or raw honey- rinsing with diluted ACV, and then smearing on honey (or packing hoofs with honey-soaked cotton). They don't need to be used together, some use one vs. the other, some use both.
3. "Over the counter" products like Thrush Buster or other liquids like what you're describing above (though sorry, I don't know the name of the product you're describing).
4. Dry Thrush products, like "No Thrush"-this is a dry, powdered product in a bottle that squirts into cracks and crevices. The reasoning is that if thrush is made worse by damp, moist conditions, why would you want to add more moisture.
5. "Pete's Goo"- a mixture of human athlete's foot cream (you need the "Lotrimin" type or generic) and antibiotic ointment (in a 1:1 ratio) that you mix up yourself, stuff into an empty syringe, and then load into cracks.

Personally, I've had thrush problems on and off for months with my mare. I tried the ACV, honey, and liquid over the counter treatments like Thrush Buster and saw no real improvement. I had periods when the No Thrush did seem to help, and I find that useful for preventative maintenance, but it's not universal. I have been using the Pete's Goo in the past two weeks and am actually seeing good results. I have personally avoided bleach-based solutions as I'm leery of hurting healthy tissue, though again, many here swear by it.

Underlying all of this is your horse's nutrition and diet. I am not an expert in that, so will not comment, except to say there really is a connection and you need to be sure diet is in order to support healthy feet.

I am neither a vet nor a farrier, so if you have a severe case, I would definitely urge you to talk with either of them so they can advise you on your horse. Good luck researching your options and helping your horse!
Thanks for your post I will check out some of the other threads on this topic aswell. Right now she is being fed alfalfa hay and grain but I might take another look at that in the next couple of days and get other people's opinions.
 
#4 ·
If there is just a little gunk, usually thoroughly picking out the horse's hooves and making sure the stall/field is clean (no poop, pee, mud) will be enough, along with a good diet.
I've never had a thrush problem. IMO some people mistake natural smells, or a small amount of gunk, for thrush when it's not. A lot of times they then treat the foot, kill the "good" bacteria in the hoof and then other infections can thrive and flourish and BAM, you have a thrush prone horse. If you are concerned about the hooves, first thing first, is talk to your farrier or vet before starting any kind of treatment.

Good luck!
 
#8 ·
If there is just a little gunk, usually thoroughly picking out the horse's hooves and making sure the stall/field is clean (no poop, pee, mud) will be enough, along with a good diet.
I've never had a thrush problem. IMO some people mistake natural smells, or a small amount of gunk, for thrush when it's not. A lot of times they then treat the foot, kill the "good" bacteria in the hoof and then other infections can thrive and flourish and BAM, you have a thrush prone horse. If you are concerned about the hooves, first thing first, is talk to your farrier or vet before starting any kind of treatment.

Good luck!
I am going to start cleaning her pen and stall every night to get rid of anything wet. We had snow not long ago and it took forever to melt and then it kept the ground wet in some areas so she probably go it from that moisture. She got her feet trimmed yesterday and the lady who did it said it was thrush. So I do know for sure that it is thrush.
 
#7 ·
Thrush (like athelete's foot) loves dark, damp, airless places, so above all try to keep them picked out and dry. All us old timers use betadine to disinfect and dry out the sole and frog, everyday when it's wet, if necessary. Just paint it on with a small brush.
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#10 ·
Thrush (like athelete's foot) loves dark, damp, airless places, so above all try to keep them picked out and dry. All us old timers use betadine to disinfect and dry out the sole and frog, everyday when it's wet, if necessary. Just paint it on with a small brush.
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Can you get betadine at a place like walmart or walgreens or do you find it more at tractor/ feed / farm supply stores? This is what I am wanting to use as from what I have been told and read it seems to work the best while still being safe.
 
#13 ·
I swear by Tomorrow by Dry Cow. It's for mastitis in cows, but works amazingly for thrush. You can order it off Valley Vet if your feed store doesn't carry it. Basically, I clean the hoof very well, use the applicator to squeeze some tomorrow in, then pack it with cotton balls. I've never had to do more than 3 applications to kill the thrush, but if you don't pick out your horses feet at least daily and he or she is standing in a wet, mucky area, you'll never be rid of it. Good luck!
 
#14 ·
Ditto the cleanliness factor. Simply scrubbing the feet out daily with soapy water will get rid of most mild to moderate thrush all by itself and will not damage tissue. I simply mix up Dawn dishsoap in a spray bottle of water (just enough to make it good and soapy) and pick the foot, spray and scrub and rinse with the soap water also. No need to rinse away the soap. Just get the frog and all around it good and clean. No chemicals and it works. I just do this once a day to twice a day if its bad at first. Cheapest remedy you will find.
 
#15 ·
Save you money and skip all the fancy "equine" treatments.
I find that most of the new horses I see tend to have some degree of thrush.

clean out the location

rinse it with vinegar or a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water (some people swear by apple cider vinegar and it works fine too, but the only difference I've notice is it make the feet taste better than white vinegar :lol:)

wipe down with tea tree oil (apply liberally) daily.
if it's a pocket in the frog (often the case) get some cotton or gauze, soak it with tea tree oil and pack enough into the pocket to fill it. check it daily to make sure the packing stays. I like to replace it after about 4 or 5 days or sooner if needed. Usually finishes the job in about a week, but I like to do it for couple of weeks just because hate thrush and don't mind overkill.
 
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